July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
County gets sewer grant
$1.25 million in loans, grants
As part of a national Earth Day spotlight program, the Jay County Regional Sewer District was awarded a $1.255 million grant/loan package by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development office.
"We don't believe in funding band-aid projects," said USDA national representative Katie Yocum, confidential assistant to the administrator of Rural Utility Services for Rural Development, before presenting the award. "We're happy to stand with you guys as partners."
Yocum presented the sewer district with a certificate, awarding the $1.255 million needed for three sewer projects in Portland and Dunkirk.
The Jay County project was selected as one of 36 "spotlight" projects from across the nation, as USDA supplied more that $110 million for water and wastewater treatment projects.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," said district board president Gerald Kirby. "... We deeply appreciate you spotlighting this as one of your Earth Day projects."
The award package includes a 45 percent grant and the remaining 55 percent ($690,250) will be covered by a 40-year loan.
The district managed to secure a lower-than-expected interest rate of 3.25 percent on that loan component. Commonwealth Engineers, the engineering firm designing the project, had anticipated 4 percent in its preliminary estimates.
Yocum said the USDA put a special focus on water and wastewater treatment projects this year across the nation.
"They're just critical infrastructure," she said. "They play a fundamental role in local development."
Anthony Kirkland, area director for Rural Development from Muncie, said when the county first approached his office, the project was perfect for the scope of USDA's grant/loan program.
"It was just an ideal fit that our program could help," he said. "We was just delighted ... that this was a project selected as a spotlight project."
Phil Lehmkuhler, the state director for Rural Development, said Jay County's plan and personnel helped separate it from other projects in the state for funding consideration.
"The scope of the project and the people they're helping," he said of why Jay County's project came out on top. "(District members) have a real interested in making this community a nice place to live, work and play."
Ben Adams of Commonwealth Engineers said now there are a few more steps that he needs to finalize with Rural Development, but now that funding is essentially locked in, he hopes to have the three sewer projects ready to bid 60 days. On that schedule, construction would begin by early summer and be completed by summer's end.
In the worst case scenario, Adams said, affected residents wouldn't be hooked up to the new sewer lines until spring 2011.
"It's an honor and kind of humbling that they would choose this project," Kirby said.[[In-content Ad]]
"We don't believe in funding band-aid projects," said USDA national representative Katie Yocum, confidential assistant to the administrator of Rural Utility Services for Rural Development, before presenting the award. "We're happy to stand with you guys as partners."
Yocum presented the sewer district with a certificate, awarding the $1.255 million needed for three sewer projects in Portland and Dunkirk.
The Jay County project was selected as one of 36 "spotlight" projects from across the nation, as USDA supplied more that $110 million for water and wastewater treatment projects.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," said district board president Gerald Kirby. "... We deeply appreciate you spotlighting this as one of your Earth Day projects."
The award package includes a 45 percent grant and the remaining 55 percent ($690,250) will be covered by a 40-year loan.
The district managed to secure a lower-than-expected interest rate of 3.25 percent on that loan component. Commonwealth Engineers, the engineering firm designing the project, had anticipated 4 percent in its preliminary estimates.
Yocum said the USDA put a special focus on water and wastewater treatment projects this year across the nation.
"They're just critical infrastructure," she said. "They play a fundamental role in local development."
Anthony Kirkland, area director for Rural Development from Muncie, said when the county first approached his office, the project was perfect for the scope of USDA's grant/loan program.
"It was just an ideal fit that our program could help," he said. "We was just delighted ... that this was a project selected as a spotlight project."
Phil Lehmkuhler, the state director for Rural Development, said Jay County's plan and personnel helped separate it from other projects in the state for funding consideration.
"The scope of the project and the people they're helping," he said of why Jay County's project came out on top. "(District members) have a real interested in making this community a nice place to live, work and play."
Ben Adams of Commonwealth Engineers said now there are a few more steps that he needs to finalize with Rural Development, but now that funding is essentially locked in, he hopes to have the three sewer projects ready to bid 60 days. On that schedule, construction would begin by early summer and be completed by summer's end.
In the worst case scenario, Adams said, affected residents wouldn't be hooked up to the new sewer lines until spring 2011.
"It's an honor and kind of humbling that they would choose this project," Kirby said.[[In-content Ad]]
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